Activating citizens

The contribution of the Capability Approach to critical citizenship studies and to understanding the enablers of engaged citizenship

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4835477
AutoresA Colom (0000-0003-3696-1463, The Open University, autor de correspondencia), Agnes Czajka (0000-0003-3045-5156, The Open University)
Año2025
Volumen29
Número1-2
Páginas57-76
Fecha de publicación2025-02-17
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCitizenship Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1362-1025 • E-ISSN: 1469-3593
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13621025.2025.2493672
OpenAlexW4409563847
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas44

The paper argues that the Capability Approach can make a significant contribution to understanding the enablers of engaged citizenship. Using insights from critical citizenship studies and original empirical research on young people’s civic and political involvement in western Kenya, we argue that it is useful to think of the process of engaged citizenship as comprised of two distinct yet interrelated parts: activation and performance. We suggest that the Capability Approach (CA) can help us understand what resources and processes are needed for people to not only become activated but to also effectively perform their citizenship. Although the CA is rarely brought into conversation with critical citizenship studies literatures, we argue that it can be useful in both operationalising the insights of critical citizenship studies on citizenship engagement and illustrating how activation and performance can be effectively supported or catalysed

Citizenship · Epistemology · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Global Education and Multiculturalism · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Law · Philosophy · Religious Education and Schools